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Monday, September 15th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Read the Bible

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

2 Samuel 17:19

and the woman took and spread the cover over the face of the well, and spread thereon her pounded corn, - so nothing was known.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abiathar;   Ahimaaz;   Ahithophel;   Corn;   Falsehood;   Friendship;   Jonathan;   Zadok;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Ahithophel;   Hushai;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Mouth;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel;   Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Well;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bahurim;   Jonathan;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz ;   Ahithophel ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   Ahimaaz;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ahim'a-Az;   Ahith'ophel;   Jon'athan,;   Well;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Adonijah;   Ground;   Samuel, Books of;   Zadok;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ahimaaz;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then his wife took the cover, placed it over the mouth of the well, and scattered grain on it so nobody would know anything.
Hebrew Names Version
The woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed bruised grain thereon; and nothing was known.
King James Version
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.
Lexham English Bible
Then the woman took and spread a covering over the opening of the well; then she spread out dried grain on it, so nothing was discovered.
English Standard Version
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it.
New Century Version
The man's wife spread a sheet over the opening of the well and covered it with grain. No one could tell that anyone was hiding there.
New English Translation
His wife then took the covering and spread it over the top of the well and scattered some grain over it. No one was aware of what she had done.
Amplified Bible
And the woman [of the house] took a covering and spread it over the mouth of the well and scattered grain on it; so nothing was discovered.
New American Standard Bible
And the woman took a cover and spread it over the well's mouth and scattered barley meal on it, so that nothing was known.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the wife tooke and spred a couering ouer the welles mouth, and spred ground corne thereon, that the thing should not be knowen.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well's mouth and scattered crushed grain on it, so that nothing was known.
Contemporary English Version
The man's wife put the cover on the well and poured grain on top of it, so the well could not be seen.
Complete Jewish Bible
His wife spread a covering over the cistern's opening and scattered drying grain on it, so that nothing showed.
Darby Translation
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn on it; and the thing was not known.
Easy-to-Read Version
The man's wife spread a sheet over the mouth of the well and covered it with grain. The well looked like a pile of grain, so no one would know to look there.
George Lamsa Translation
And the woman took and spread a covering over the wells mouth, and put barley upon it; and the thing was not known.
Good News Translation
The man's wife took a covering, spread it over the opening of the well and scattered grain over it, so that no one would notice anything.
Literal Translation
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well, and spread ground grain on it. And the thing was not known.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the woman toke and spred a couerynge ouer the welles mouth, & strowed firmentye corne theron, that it was not perceaued.
American Standard Version
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed bruised grain thereon; and nothing was known.
Bible in Basic English
And a woman put a cover over the hole, and put crushed grain on top of it, and no one had any knowledge of it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the wyfe toke and spread a couerlet ouer the welles mouth, & spread ground corne theron: and the thing was not spied.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed groats thereon; and nothing was known.
King James Version (1611)
And the woman tooke and spread a couering ouer the welles mouth, and spread ground corne thereon; and the thing was not knowen.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And a woman took a covering, and spread it over the mouth of the well, and spread out ground corn upon it to dry, and the thing was not known.
English Revised Version
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and strewed bruised corn thereon; and nothing was known.
Berean Standard Bible
Then the man's wife took a covering and spread it over the mouth of the well and scattered grain over it, so nobody would know a thing.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe a womman took, and spred abrood an hilyng of the mouth of the pit as driynge `barli with the pile takun a wey, and so the thing was hid.
Young's Literal Translation
and the woman taketh and spreadeth the covering over the face of the well, and spreadeth on it the ground corn, and the thing hath not been known.
Update Bible Version
And the woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed bruised grain thereon; and nothing was known.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn upon it; and the thing was not known.
World English Bible
The woman took and spread the covering over the well's mouth, and strewed bruised grain thereon; and nothing was known.
New King James Version
Then the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground grain on it; and the thing was not known.
New Living Translation
The man's wife put a cloth over the top of the well and scattered grain on it to dry in the sun; so no one suspected they were there.
New Life Bible
Then the woman took the covering and spread it over the well's mouth, and spread grain on it, so nothing was known of it.
New Revised Standard
The man's wife took a covering, stretched it over the well's mouth, and spread out grain on it; and nothing was known of it.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And a woman took, and spread a covering over the mouth of the well, as it were to dry sodden barley and so the thing was not known.
Revised Standard Version
And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and scattered grain upon it; and nothing was known of it.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And the woman took a covering and spread it over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, so that nothing was known.

Contextual Overview

15 So Hushai said unto Zadok and unto Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus, did Ahithophel counsel Absolom and the elders of Israel, - and, thus and thus, have, I, counselled. 16 Now, therefore, send quickly, and tell David, saying, - Do not lodge to-night in the waste plains of the wilderness, thou must, even pass over, lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him. 17 Now, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were staying by En-rogel, and a maidservant was to go and tell them, and, they, were to go and tell King David, - for they might not be seen to eater the city. 18 And, though a young man did see them, and told Absolom, yet they both departed quickly, and entered the house of a man in Bahurim, and, he, had a well in his court, into which they went down; 19 and the woman took and spread the cover over the face of the well, and spread thereon her pounded corn, - so nothing was known. 20 Then came the servants of Absolom unto the woman in the house, and said - Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them - They have passed over the stream of water. And, when they had searched and not found, they returned to Jerusalem. 21 And it came to pass, after those had gone, that these came up out of the well, and went, and told King David, - and said unto David, - Arise ye and pass quickly over the water, for, thus and thus, hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

spread a covering: Joshua 2:4-6, 5-24

the thing: Exodus 1:19

Reciprocal: Joshua 2:6 - hid them

Cross-References

Genesis 17:2
That I may set my covenant betwixt me and thee, And may multiply thee, exceedingly.
Genesis 17:3
And Abram fell on his face, - and God spake with him, saying:
Genesis 17:6
And I will make thee fruitful, exceedingly, and grant thee to be nations, - Yea kings, out of thee, shall come forth;
Genesis 17:9
And God said unto Abraham, But, as for thee, my covenant, must thou keep, thou and thy seed after thee, to their generations: -
Genesis 17:10
This, is my covenant which ye shall keep, betwixt me and you, and thy seed after thee, - To circumcise to you every male:
Genesis 17:13
He must surely be circumcised, born of thy house or bought with thy silver, - So shall my covenant be in your flesh for an age-abiding covenant.
Genesis 17:14
But, as for the uncircumcised male who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, - that person shall be cut off from among his people, - my covenant, hath he made void.
Genesis 17:16
and I will bless her, yea moreover will give - from her - to thee, a son, - And I will bless her, and she shall become nations. Kings of peoples, from her, shall arise.
Genesis 17:17
And Abraham fell on his face and laughed, - and said in his heart To one a hundred years old, shall a child be born? And shall even Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?
Genesis 17:20
Yet as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; o! I have blessed trim and will make him fruitful, and multiply him, exceedingly, - twelve princes, shall he beget, and I will grant him to be a great nation;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth,.... This woman, very probably, was the man's wife of the house, as Abarbinel notes; who took a cloth, and spread it over the well's mouth, that it could not be seen or known that there was a well there:

and spread ground corn thereon: just taken out of the mill, before it was sifted, while in the bran; or corn unhusked, or just threshed out, in order to be dried in the sun, and then parched; or wheat bruised for that purpose: Josephus says q they were locks of wool she spread:

and the thing was not known; that the young men were in the well.

q Antiqu. l. 7. c. 9. sect. 7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A covering - Hebrew “the covering,” perhaps “the hanging” or “awning” at the door of the house, as the word seems to mean when spoken of the tabernacle.

Ground corn - Or “peeled barley,” which she spread out as if for the purpose of drying it in the sun.


 
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